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Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Salty Sweet No-Bake Oatmeal Nut Butter Balls

I try not to eat too much added sugar, but after dinner I love to have a little something sweet. Most nights, after we have finished up all of our to-dos for the day, Jay and I sit down together and watch a show before bed. (Currently, we are watching the entire West Wing series from the beginning...it is sort of old school but I love it!) We often used to have a little ice cream while we watched (back in the day when I was still eating dairy), and now it's like my brain automatically associates TV time with dessert. The rest of the day I could take it or leave it, but, as soon as we sit down to watch our show, I start craving sugar!Most nights, a square or two of good dark chocolate will do the trick, but last night we were all out and I could not get dessert off my mind. It was already pretty late in the evening and my energy was lacking, so I wanted to make something easy and somewhat healthy that I could throw together without turning on the oven or dirtying a bunch of dishes. Of course, I immediately checked my "something sweet" Pinterest board for inspiration and decided to try my hand at some no-bake oatmeal balls. They were roughly inspired by this recipe, but I added in some carob chips and sea salt, among other things, to give it that salty sweet flavor I love. The cookies turned out great...we ate more than our share last night, and I'm sure the rest won't last long. Luckily, they are super easy, so I can always whip up another batch. And they are full of fiber and healthy fats, so you could eat them anytime, not just for dessert.

Here is my recipe:

1 cup old fashioned oats

1/4 cup ground flaxseed

1/4 cup almond butter

1/4 cup peanut butter

1.5 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1/4 cup vegan carob chips (or chocolate chips)

1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Roll dough into balls and refrigerate for an hour or so (if you can wait that long!).There are so many different variations you could try with this recipe based on your taste preferences and what you have on hand. I can't wait to make it again!